Bell will be tagged tomorrow. He and the Steelers are no where near a long term deal. He wants too high a salary and way too much guaranteed. Steelers get one more year and then goodby and a decent pick.

call his bluff and tag him, but whatver they do, do not trade him unless its for full value, and do not give in to his ludicrous demands. And if he really wants to retire, see ya, happy retirement #26.

If he holds out again and takes 3-4 games to get up to speed, then I'll revise my opinion.

However he's doing exactly what I think every player in his situation should. He's staring at $26.5M for 2 years when top RB's were getting $8M per year.

Sure, I'd respect him a lot more if he just said he's taking the tag because it's just too much money to turn down, and then see what FA holds. Don't care for all the posturing and ridiculous $15M a year to be paid like a RB and #2 receiver. No idea if he has a screw loose or just very calculating.

call his bluff and tag him, but whatver they do, do not trade him unless its for full value, and do not give in to his ludicrous demands. And if he really wants to retire, see ya, happy retirement #26.

Maybe its me, but I have followed football for a long, long time and this is one area I have no fucking clue what the Steeler's options are with Leveon going forward. Maybe because most Steeler players will at least work with the team and negotiate. Is there a site or anything that lists the Steelers options in this situation. If I was them, I would say enough is enough and work any options and/or Patriots type bending of the rules I could and get rid of him. Its time to give in to the fact, Bell is hurting the team and is GONE. I don't want them paying him 14.5 million this year either. 12.5 last year and 14.5 this year would already "bend the Steelers over".........Find a way to dump him for picks or better yet, find a way to trade him and Martavous to Miami for Landry.

With AB and Jarvis Landry lined up next to Ben we don't need Bell's 4 YPC anyway.

If there are NO loopholes to dump him for picks or a way to trade him. Dump his ass on the 14th and offer Miami Martavous, DHB, MItchell & Marcus Gilbert for Landry & a draft pick. With the TONS of cap space they would open up, Sign Landry, Hubbard & the best FA Safety to hit FA. Draft a RB and lets go get #7 with out his dumbass. Don't know about yinz, but I'm done with him.

Kudos for the Steelers for not giving in. Time to play hardball. Move on!!!

The non-exclusive franchise tag. Bell is free to negotiate with other teams and can even sign with them if they’re willing to give up two 1st round picks. That, to me, is the right option at this point.

The non-exclusive franchise tag. Bell is free to negotiate with other teams and can even sign with them if they’re willing to give up two 1st round picks. That, to me, is the right option at this point.

This^ Been saying it for some time. Was told they couldn't tag him in reverse. If they can do that? Do It!

The franchise tag (not the non-exclusive) is right up there with how the founding fathers designed the checks and balance system to work with our democracy.

It is actually a pretty ingenious contractual clause when you think about it. It was design to help small market teams keep players all the while balancing the needs of the player getting paid on a league wide scale. It takes the crappy free agent elements in baseball and crushes them. Baseball is too many clicks towards extreme capitalism and the NFL is just the right amount of clicks towards socialism and wealth redistribution.

So Bell was mostly over the barrel last season with his gamble to play one year on the tag. Now the Steelers are mostly over the barrel to tag Bell this season and into 2019.

If they tag Bell this year that means he is most likely gone next year and we will get nothing in return. There is no way we pay Bell franchise QB money in 2019, which is what happens. Bell will hold all the cards next year and will be a true unrestricted free agent and will get to see the “quan”. The Steelers will be working feverishly to sign him or trade him as soon as they put the tag on him this year. When they put the tag on him it will be like trying to sell your house at the end of 2006 going into 2007 the Great Recession year in Detroit Michigan. I think B2B nailed it with the non-exclusive.

Last edited by LakecrestSteeler on Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.